Over half of LinkedIn users would travel to an amber listed country. Find out why Britons want to go on holiday!

It’s Freedom Day, and the sunshine is beaming across the UK today. Everyone is in happy spirits and is enjoying the heatwave which is hitting every city across the country. However, even though the sunlight is making an immediate impact on people’s moods, we wanted to know if people were planning to stick around and spend summer in their hometown or plan to pack their bags and book a last-minute holiday abroad. 

The government’s traffic light system currently gives people the option to book a holiday abroad in any green listed country without the need to self-isolate. However, with the listing changing weekly, people have feared booking a holiday with friends and family due to green spots going to amber within two weeks. Portugal and Balearic Islands are some of the destinations that changed to amber due to the rise of Covid-19 cases that must prepare themselves for self-isolation if they have not had the two vaccines. On the other hand, if you have a job where you have the flexibility to work from home and can continue working whilst you self-isolate on return.

To help us discover how many people want to go on holiday outside of the UK. We asked LinkedIn users if they would travel to an amber listed country. Surprisingly, over half of voters (60%) would travel to an amber listed destination as they’ve had the double dose vaccine or have a job role where they can work from home whilst they self-isolate. Whilst the remainder of votes (40%) would prefer to stay at home. The comments revealed that most people didn’t want to book a holiday due to the uncertainty of the testing needed before travelling. Others also commented on flight and hotel costs and that they would prefer to wait until next year when fees have started to reduce in price. 

Other findings found that those who are waiting to book a holiday during autumn and winter 2021 are considering travelling outside of Europe as the U.S. is the top location Britons want to visit during the colder months. Through our travel index, we’ve been able to track this and pinpoint which airlines are offering budget-friendly flights, and British Airways is one of the top airline providers who are showing return flights from up to £500 one way to locations such as New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Other data insights revealed that Booking.com was also the most trusted hotel and villa provider. 

Over 80% (82%) of voters advised that their booking process gave them the flexibility to reserve and pay later and cancel their trips without any fees. The remaining participants advised that booking directly via the hotels’ website allowed them to save money, whilst others advised that Airbnb had great deals. Another reason why online booking has grown in popularity through platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com as customers can communicate directly with the accommodation owners, which helped put their minds at ease. The option of being able to reserve now and pay later means that the risk of holiday plans changing due to travel restrictions changing or personal reasons. It means that customers have more control and do not risk losing their money as they can manage their bookings and claim back their cash if their holiday provider is ATOL protected.